MOTORISTS PLEASE NOTE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 109, 4 November 1939, Page 15

MOTORISTS PLEASE NOTE

TRAFFIC TO THE EXHIBITION

CITY ROUTES AND CAR PARKS

APPEAL FOR SENSIBLE DRIVING

If Wednesday is fine, and the day deserves it, traffic and traffic control through the city and to Rongotai are going to be put through the stiffest test of the whole Exhibition months, for there is literally no New Zealand precedent upon which to base plans of control and procedure. Motor traffic has come into its own since the last cony parable occasion, the opening of the 1925 exhibition at Dunedin, and the several routes to Rongotai are difficult for a first planning of control.

For the last week members of the City Engineer's staff and of the Traffic Office, have worked all sorts of hours, and all night in some sections, getting, out plans for general control, signposting, and working routes, centre lines and crossing places. The' City Engineer, Mr. K. E. Luke, and the Chief Traffic Officer, Mr. L S. Drake, summed up the outlook today in a discussion with "The Post," Given the same co-operatiori that has invariably been shown by motorists .on past big days, . the. car, bus, and tram transport, all inter-related, would get through the first test on Wednesday_ and thereafter would settle down to smooth; and expeditious handling of big crowds, provided always that the transport problem was spread and not jammed into a peak of half an hour. "If drivers will do their part we will go the limit of willingness and oooperation to dp ours,",said Mr. Drake. The Automobile Association had been most helpful, said Mr. Luke. A series of conferences had been held and a routine plan had been drawn up to ensure, a rapid and clearly-defined traffic flow to and from, the Exhibition without undue interference with normal city traffic^ which must, bf course, continue, probably in greater volume than usuaL There were very few roads j or streets in which traffic would tje stopped or made one-way traffic, though there were some exceptions, in tha interests of safety or for special transport reasons. At times it might be found necessary to re-route traffic either "for an afternoon or evening or during temporary peaks, but generally the routes would be followed as shown in the Automobile Association's maps, . which were excellently produced and were available to all car owners on application at the association office. THE MAIN ROUTES. The division of traffic flow which it is desired to achieve, said Mr. Luke, is simple.- . . ■ ■ 1. Traffic from outside Wellington City, approaching by the Hutt Road and Ngahauranga Gorge, should follow the waterfront roads all the way: Aotea Quay, 'Waterloo, Customhouse, and Jervois Quays,' Oriental Bay, and Evans Bay,--; Rosen£.ath cars should use Evans Bay Road also. 2. Cars from the northern end of the city (Ngaio, Khandallah, Wadestown, Thdmdon) should use the central city route, but should avoid the shopping streets during business'hours. 3. Northland, Kelburn, and Karori, and Te Aro cars should run by (Wallace Street to Adelaide Road and over the Constable Street Hill.

Pedestrian crossing places, at all times and throughout the city and suburbs, must be fully observed by both drivers and walkers. Upon this point Mr. Luke was particularly emphatic.

4. Brooklyn, Morningtori and Vogel* town, Berhampore, and Island Bay cars should use v the Happy Valley and Queen's Drive route. Some flexibility would be essential, I said Mr, Luke, but if drivers would follow those routes except when particular circumstances necessitated depar-, ture from them, flow could be speeded .up and control would be greatly simplified. SIGNS AND ROAD MARKINGS. During the past week the department had erected some hundreds of signs as to routes, parking places, special advices, .and indicators at five points, as to the state of the parking places. These would assist drivers considerably,; but the main control would be given by the traffic officers, plus the best control of all—the good sense of the drivers themselves. As far as possible all main ways would be marked with a safety centre line. THE OFFICIAL PARKS. The car parks to be used on Wednesday are:—■ Seatoun Road, at the head of Evans Bay, capacity approximately 900 cars. The Kilbirnie Stadium, capacity approximately 900 cars. . Exhibition ground parks; capacity 850 cars. ' Evenings only, from 6.30 p.m., Rongotai Aerodrome, capacity 2500 tp 3000 cars. The aerodrome park must be filled from the southern end, working towards- Coutts Street. Apart from official parks, street parking can, if necessary, accommodate a great many cars, but no parking will he permitted on approach roads and on certain streets in the vicinity of Rongotai, SPECIAL RULES. There are not many special rules, but those that are drawn must be observed. ; No push-cycles or horse-drawn vehicles will be. permitted to use the motpr road thrpugh the Mount Victoria tunnel between 10 a.m. and midi night during the Exhibition period. j Cycles must be wheeled-through, and 'horses must go round. i Hungerford Road and Sutherland Road will be closed to downhill traffic^'in the interests of public safety. Puru Crescent,- one of the main. bus stands, will be a one-way street, as , shown by signs. • Pedestrian crossing places, at all Kvnac nnri tfirnusrhout the city and